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What is Rocky Mountain National Park Like?



Photo Credits: Chuck, Courtesy of:Bob Mielcarek


Rocky Mountain National Park is a scenic area of American wilderness that captures the power and beauty of the Rocky Mountains. This park attracts around 3 million visitors a year, making it one of our country's most visited national parks.
The park is home to over 60 glacier-cut peaks that extend over 10,000 feet. The park has 5 valley glaciers, U-shaped valleys, and many glacial lakes(tarns). Herds of elk, colonies of beaver, and bands of bighorn sheep roam the park.
  • Facts and Figures
  • Visitation
  • Lakes and Wildlife
  • Campgrounds
  • Picnic Areas
  • Law Enforcement
  • Shuttle Bus Service
  • Volunteer Statistics
  • The Map

    Some Facts and Figures of interest:

    Established: January 26, 1915 (the 10th oldest park)
    Acreage:265,727 (107,539 ha)
    Square Miles:415.2
    Wilderness:2,917 acres (actual) 235,668 acres (proposed)
    Non-federal lands:As of 9/96, 61 owners, 69 parcels, 410.99 acres (0.15% of the park's land and water)
    Precipitation:
    January-December 1996:
    Estes Park - 25.56" (64.92cm)
    Grand Lake - 22.45" (57.03 cm)

    Elevations:
    Viitor Center/Headquarters (Estes Park) - 7,840' (2,390 m)
    Kawuneeche Visitor Center (Grand Lake) - 8,720' (2,658 m)
    Longs Peak - 14,255' (4,345 m)
    114 named peaks above 10,000' (3,048 m)

    Employees:
    Permanent = 126
    Temporary = 217
    Total = 343
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    Visitation:

    1997
    January70,036
    February61,408
    March93,203
    April59,189
    May192,321
    June494,551
    July699,713
    August667,578
    September430,152
    October221,886
    November74,849
    December68,637
    Total3,133,523


    Past Eleven Years:
    19963,115,785
    19953,008,446
    19943,153,695*
    19932,952,171
    19922,942,743
    19912,903,811
    19902,801,259
    19892,636,662
    19882,686,916
    19872,665,029

    *highest on record

    1997 Visitation by Major Entrance Stations
    Beaver Meadows (U.S. 36) 1,363,273
    Fall River (U.S. 34) 821,455
    Grand Lake (west side) 477,921
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    Lakes & Wildlife



    Lakes: 147
    Lakes with fish: 50
    Bird Species: 260 (listed endangered - Bald Eagle and peregrine falcon)
    Bighorn Sheep: 650
    Elk (in winter*): 2000
    Elk (in summer): 3200
    Deer (in winter*): 250
    Deer (in summer): common
    Black bear: 30
    (*In winter some elk and deer migrate to areas outside the park.)
    Moose are commonly seen on the west side of the park.
    Coyote are also common.

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    Campgrounds



    Front Country (drive-in)
    Aspenglen - 54 sites
    Longs Peak - 26 sites
    Timber Creek - 100 sites
    Glacier Basin - 150 sites
    Group sites - 12 sites
    Moraine Park - 247 sites
    total - 589 sites

    Back Country

    East side
    Cross-country zones - 16
    Individual - 109
    Group - 10
    Handicap - 1

    West Side
    Cross-country zones - 32
    Individual - 88
    Group - 11
    total - 267

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    Picnic Areas


    Area TablesFire Grates
    Sprague Lake2517
    Upper Beaver Meadows106
    Endovalley3737
    Hollowell Park100
    Hidden Valley100
    Wild Basin80
    Lake Irene88
    Beaver Ponds66
    Beaver Creek44
    Colorado River64
    Coyote Valley70
    Kawuneeche66
    Harbison Meadows44
    Timber Lake88

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    Law Enforcement


    Law Enforcement19961995199419931992
    Traffic accidents, warning,
    major and minor offenses,
    citations    		2,0201,7242,0572,1942,033
    Wildland Fires (5 prescribed fires in 1995)511216
    Major Rescues1512161222
    Fatalities23839

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    Shuttle Bus Service


    YearPeople
    1996160,273
    1995134,284
    1994142,513
    1993139,308
    1992151,347

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    Volunteers


    YearPeopleHours Donated
    19963,24974,260
    19951,75667,845
    19941,57359,932
    19932,08151,006
    19922,04560,030

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    Map of Rocky Mountain National Park
    Map of Rocky Mountain National Park
    Scanned in by Nina Drew
    Click here to see a large (160k) version of the map.
    Click here to see a GIGANTIC (and readable) 1.8 meg version of this map.
    Click here to see a VRML 2.0 (3D) page of Rocky Mountain National Park.
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